Comic adaptations have been a part of the cinema landscape for decades. Long before the MCU, there were superhero films. In 2023, one of the most important DC heroes received his own film. However, even a star-studded cast and a lot of nostalgia couldn’t help The Flash become a success.
What kind of film is The Flash? The Flash was released in 2023 and was another film in the DC film universe, which began in 2013 with Man of Steel. As the name suggests, it is about the titular hero Flash, who made a small appearance for the first time in Batman v Superman.
The story of the solo film was based on the important Flashpoint arc, which had far-reaching consequences in the comic universe. However, the solo film turned out to be a flop. According to IMDb, the film cost an estimated 200 million US dollars but could only generate just under 270 million US dollars worldwide.
While that may sound like a lot of money at first, with a budget of 200 million US dollars, one must earn at least 400 million, if not more, when considering marketing costs. The film faced many issues, to which even the director spoke out.
The director believes he knows the reason for the failure
Why was the film a flop? You can never say for sure; you can only speculate. The film’s director, Andy Muschietti, recently commented on the flop, stating that the film could not reach all four major target audiences (via Variety). The target audiences in question are men under 25 and over 25, and women under 25 and over 25. He claims that the film especially did not interest the female target audience.
Films like Wonder Woman have significantly better appealed to all target audiences.
The film tried to bank on nostalgia similarly to Spider-Man: No Way Home. With Michael Keaton as Batman, they brought back a legendary actor in an iconic role. But that also didn’t work.
Another major issue is probably the direction of the DC film universe at the time. In 2022, James Gunn was hired as Co-CEO for DC Studios, and even before the release of The Flash, it was clear that James Gunn was launching a new universe (via gq.com). Fans of such film universes may have been deterred if the story being told would have no impact on the future.
In addition to these problems, the lead actor Ezra Miller has had negative headlines since 2020. As Variety noted in a timeline, Ezra Miller has also had run-ins with the law and had very few appearances during the film’s promotional phase.
Critics and fans did not find the film bad
How was the film received by critics and audiences? The film received a fairly positive, but not remarkable response from critics. With 389 reviews, the film has a score of 63% on Rotten Tomatoes. The audience liked the film a bit more. With over 5000 reviews, the film achieved an audience score of 82%.
In June 2023, however, The Flash had to compete against Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, which was received much better by critics and fans alike.
What do you think of the film? Did you like The Flash or would you not recommend it? Please feel free to share your thoughts in the comments. MyMMO editor-in-chief Leya Jankowski particularly liked one character from the film: Since I saw the new Supergirl from The Flash in the cinema, I no longer miss Henry Cavill as Superman
